A lot of things you do have to alter during pregnancy, such as what you eat and drink. Be mindful of what you can and can’t eat while pregnant to guarantee the health and safety of your child. The hot temperature throughout the summer necessitates pregnant women to consume more liquid, but does not involve alcohol like palm wine.
Many women ask whether it is good to drink palm wine during pregnancy, continue reading to find out.
Is Palm Wine Safe to Drink While Pregnant?
Pregnant women and those attempting to become pregnant should avoid alcoholic beverages like palm wine until after the baby is delivered since it contains alcohol. According to March of Dimes, even a single glass of wine a day may put an unborn child at risk for a variety of developmental, mental, and emotional problems. If a woman suspects that she is pregnant, she should abstain from any alcoholic beverages for the duration of her pregnancy.
Almost immediately after a pregnant woman consumes any alcoholic beverage, the alcohol travels via the umbilical cord and is delivered to the fetus. At that point, it affects the fetus’s brain and central nervous system (CNS), as well as the heart and eyes. Cumulative consequences of maternal alcohol use are likely, according to Emory University, if the woman drinks continuously during her pregnancy. Pregnant women who drink alcohol are placing their unborn children at risk for a wide range of physical, emotional, mental, and intellectual issues.
There Is No Safe Amount of Alcohol to Consume
Drinking alcohol while pregnant has the same effect on the unborn child as eating or drinking nonalcoholic alternatives, such as a glass of wine or a bottle of beer. Some people think it’s safe to drink while pregnant since the baby’s brain and other organs are almost finished developing, but the baby’s brain and other organs are still too young to be exposed to any level of alcohol.
How Alcohol Affects a Child’s Development
The umbilical cord is a conduit for the passage of alcohol via the placenta. Since the baby’s primary food supply throughout pregnancy is the placenta, alcohol has an easier time reaching the unborn kid. There, it affects every organ and system in the baby’s growing body.
Pregnant women aren’t the only ones who should abstain from alcohol. According to the Texas A&M Health Science Center, a pregnant woman’s partner or husband should also be responsible for ensuring that she entirely abstains from any alcohol use. It may be simpler for the woman to effectively abstain if her spouse abstains as well. Even moderate drinking may have an impact on a child’s development, but heavy drinking can have a significant impact.
Mental, intellectual, and physical health concerns may arise for the kid even if the pregnant lady hasn’t taken a single sip of alcohol throughout her pregnancy, but her spouse is a heavy drinker.
Aside from that, men’s sperm cells are harmed by alcohol. During fertilization, the sperm brings the effects of alcohol to the freshly formed embryo.
Alcohol’s Effects on an Unborn Child
When a woman is pregnant, she puts her unborn child at risk for a variety of health problems by continuing to drink. Among the issues that may arise are the following:
- Disorders of the fetal alcohol spectrum
- Infancy with a low weight
- Babies born too early
- Defects in utero (hearing issues or heart defects)
Cognitive impairments might include memory and concentration deficits as well as learning disabilities, speech and language delays, and a low IQ. Hyperactivity and behavioral problems are seen in the youngster. According to the CDC, kids may also have issues with their heart, skeleton, kidneys, or even their eyes or ears.
Palm wine’s health advantages
Even though it is not advisable for pregnant women to take palm wine, It does have health benefits on its own which includes;
Lactation may be aided by palm wine
Palm wine may help nursing moms who aren’t producing enough milk. Drinking freshly-tapped palm wine is widely believed to help new mothers produce more breast milk. They know that fresh-tapped wine is rich in nutrients that are beneficial to both the mother and the baby. The issue of adulteration means that many women are unwittingly consuming unhealthy quantities (such as artificial sweeteners and alcohol) while they are pregnant.
It might aid to improve immunity
One of the healthiest beverages on the market, it may assist to strengthen your body’s defenses against illness. Adding palm wine to your diet may help strengthen your immune system because of its high concentration of nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, protein, and lipids. Drinking this wine, according to African traditional medicine specialists, may help keep eyesight healthy, skin disease-free, and boost male fertility.
Antioxidant-rich foodstuffs
Vitamin C and phenols in palm wine, particularly fresh wine, protect cells from oxidative damage and aid in the regeneration of new ones. To prevent heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative illnesses, antioxidants protect the cells in your body from free radicals. Consume undiluted, freshly tapped wine to get the full advantages of the wine’s antioxidants.
Probiotic-rich
Probiotics are “health-friendly microorganisms” that have a wide range of health advantages, including the improvement of digestion and the strengthening of the immune system. There are several Lactobacillus species in palm wine, which have high probiotic activity and a high concentration of acetic acid bacteria. Preliminary research suggests that probiotics may be beneficial in the prevention of intestinal disorders, cardiovascular illness, and diarrhea. In addition, probiotic microorganisms suppress the formation of pathogenic bacteria in the human digestive tract. Palmwine that has been fermented for at least 24 hours is the best source of probiotics.
Anxiety may be reduced with the palm wine
Anxiety may be alleviated by consuming fermented palm wine, which may include alcohol and probiotics.
Palm wine’s Potentially Harmful Side Effects
Photo credit: Rebrand Nigeria Champaign
Palm wine also has some side effects which includes;
Diabetes
Palm wine may not be good for diabetics because of its high sugar and alcohol content. When the beverage is newly harvested, the sugar level is high and the alcohol concentration is low.
Alcohol
Large doses of ethanol may injure the liver and create reproductive issues in males. Fresh sap contains less than 1%, but as soon as fermentation begins, it grows to up to 5%. According to studies, men who drink palm wine have lower testosterone levels, sperm motility, and sperm viability, which may lead to a loss in testicular function. As a result, it’s critical for males and nursing moms to know how much they’re drinking.
Adulteration
The most serious health risk associated with palm wine intake is deliberate and inadvertent adulteration of the wine with foreign elements. Diluting the product with significant volumes of untreated water and adding artificial sweeteners are two further techniques of adulteration.
Contamination by insects
Dead flies or bees may be observed floating on the surface after palm wine harvesting. As a result, pathogenic contamination by dead insects has been raised as a problem. Other species, such as bats, birds, and squirrels, may attempt to taint the new sap by drinking it and transmitting excreta into the wine. This may be somewhat avoided by erecting a mesh or net to keep insects and animals out.
Conclusion
Palmwine should not be consumed when pregnant, but it may be consumed if you are not pregnant since it offers several health benefits. However, it should not be consumed in excess.